Education

Foreign Schools
architecturally pleasing building in the
heart of Seoul’s French community in
Bangbae-dong. It is a private school
fully accredited by the French Ministry
of Education and regulated by the
National Agency for French Education
Abroad.
The school, which currently enrolls
about 350 students, offers education in
French to French speaking children
aged three to 18. It has a kindergarten,
primary and secondary school, as well
as an upper school (otherwise known
as the 6th form) that prepares students
for the baccalauréat exam.
As an additional admission requirement,
Lycee Francais de Seoul requires
proof that students have previously
attended a French school. Students
must also be proficient in French.
Tuition
Admission fees differ between French
nationals and non-French nationals. For
French nationals, kindergarten and primary
school costs 6.668 million won,
secondary school costs 9.064 million
won and 6th Form costs 9.804 million
won. For non-French nationals, kindergarten
and primary school costs 8.36
million won, secondary school costs
11.735 million won and 6th Form costs
12.31 million won. There is also a
founder’s share of 5 million won.
12) Deutsche Schule Seoul
(02) 792-0797
www.dsseoul.org
The Deutsche Schule Seoul, or German
School in Seoul, is Korea’s only
German-language school with an integrated
German-language kindergarten.
Founded in 1976 on the initiative of
German parents residing in Seoul, the
private school, located in Hannamdong
in Yongsan-gu, is financed and
staffed by the German government.
Academic credit earned at the school is
recognized in Germany.
The school provides pre-school and
kindergarten classes and a 10-year
Gymnasium course. Curriculum is
based on the curriculum of the State of
Thuringia. A two-year high school program
is in the making, with the first
classes to begin in 2009 and the first
“German International Abitur” to be
given in 2010. By the end of year 10,
however, students should be able to
freely transfer to any one of Seoul’s
English-language high schools. In 2007-
2008, the school had 150 students,
including kindergarten children.
Students should be competent in the
German language.
Tuition
Tuition ranges from 7.7 million won for
kindergarten to 14.52 million won for
secondary school.
13) Hanseong Chinese
Elementary School
(02) 779-3701
The Hanseong Chinese School in
Myeong-dong is one of Korea’s oldest
schools for the nation’s ethnic Chinese
minority. The school, located next to
the old Chinese embassy in what used
to be Seoul’s Chinatown, is a distinctive
mid-20th century building painted in a
striking pink color.
At one time, the school had some
2,300 students, but thanks to demographic
changes and the move of the
Chinese embassy, the student body has
been reduced to 558 students as of last
year, including elementary students.
However, the school has grown
increasingly popular with Korean parents
looking to give their children a
head start in Chinese, a language of
growing importance in the Asia-Pacific
region.
In addition to the brightly painted
pink building, the school has a spacious
playground where you can
sometimes see Chinese students engaging
in Chinese-style calisthenics during
the day.
Tuition
Tuition at Chinese schools in Korea generally
runs about 170,000-270,000 won
a month.
22 Guide to Living in Korea
Education 23